As a result of the increasing costs and decreasing availability of conventional fossil fuels, there is an expanding need for an alternative to the combustion of fossil fuels for the generation of useful power. Options include atomic and hydroelectric installations. However, both atomic and hydroelectric installations have proven to be lacking as commercially viable alternatives to the production of electricity. Furthermore, such installations are practically limited by their potential detrimental affects upon the environment.
A number of approaches have been developed for utilizing the sun's radiation to produce useful energy. Solar energy can provide mechanical power to generate electricity without polluting the air and water, or draining valuable and limited fossil fuel reserves. One method of using solar energy to produce electricity involves the creation of an upward flow of air in a confined conduit. The upward flow of air rotates a turbine to provide torque capable of driving an electrical generator.
The upward flow of air in such systems is generated by allowing the sun's radiation to heat a volume of air in a substantially confined system. The heated air convectively rises relative to the colder ambient air resulting from the heating process. These thermally induced updrafts or air currents are then harnessed by a wind turbine. The turbine is geared to and drives a generator for the production of electricity. However, in known solar energy systems utilizing the thermally induced updrafts of air the practical applicability of such systems has proven to be very limited. Principally this is due to the specific structures and features utilized in many of the prior art systems which are not well adapted or designed for efficient, reliable, and economical power generation.
Therefore, a need exists for a new improved solar energy apparatus for the production of electricity which is both pollution free and cost effective.